Coated article and method of producing



June 14, 1938. E TILLQTSQN 2,120,722

COATED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING Filed April 16, 1936 was. QSZK $31k Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES COATED ARTICLE AND DIETHOD OF PRODUCING Neil E. Tlllotson, Watertown, Mass.

Application April 16, 1936, Serial No. 74,682

2- Claims.

The present invention relates to coated articles and methods of producing the same, and is more particularly concerned with the production of a roughened, liquid-proof surface on fabric 5 articles such as gloves and the like.

The purpose and object of the invention is to a provide such articles with-a protective coating which has pronounced non-slipping character-- istics, and to attain this result without sacridicing any of the advantages of the protective coating itself.

With this purpose in view, I have discovered from the normally smooth, slippery surface of rubber, particularly when wetted.

In carrying out my invention I may initially v provide a smooth coating of rubber latex which 2 provides a foundation upon which one or more subsequent coatings may be superimposed. These additional coatings are secured through the employment of a mixture of latex and a wide, range of solid materials which have the capacity to adequately bond with the formed rubber coating. Such materials may be of a fibrous nature such as the flock from cotton, rayon, wool, etc.--, cotton linters, 'so-called alpha flock, or materials such as powdered rubber or incompletely dispersed particles, or partiallycoagulated latex dispersed in the uncoagulated latex suspension, also such materials as wood flour which in their divided state present no fibrous characteristics; All of "411 these materials are inert in the sense that they do not combine with'the latex nor change their solid characteristics, and all of them are sufliciently coarse to produce the desirable roughened coating with which the present invention is concerned.-

I have found that this method is peculiarly adaptable to coated canvas gloves and the like, where the purpose of the coating either in the palm or throughout the entire area of the glove is to protect the wearer against absorption of grease, water and the like. The gloves generally used for this purpose do become slick and slippery when wetted, and make it diflicult to eiiectively handle and grip articles.

The accompanying drawing illustntu a conand properly ground cured or uncured rubber ventional glove coated according to the present method.

In producing this glove as illustrated, I first. employ a canvas glove of conventional type ill,

- having an elastic wrist portion l2. This glove 5 may be completely coated with a roughened moisture-proof surface, a small section of which is indicated at M. The surface may consist of more than one coating, and is preferably made by mixing a fibrous material in the proper pro- 10 portions with a bath of latex suspension. Thereafter the coating is built up to the proper thickness by dipping the article one or more times in the bath. I have found that the flock of i. fibrous material mixed and properly dispersed throughout the bath provides an extremely satisfactory roughened surface, this material combining and bonding with the rubber coating.

As will be evident from the section of the coating shown at M, the solid material is dispersed in an irreguluar fashion throughout the coating, and produces an embossed and markedly roughenedsurface which greatly enhances the gripping action of the glove. Obviously other materials might produce a diiferent type of roughening with a different characteristic appearance, and also vary in degree the non-slipping qualities.

I Nevertheless, a wide range of materials as indicated will bond adequately with the rubber and will produce a satisfactory rougher-ling. 34

For the purpose of providing a'better foundation for the roughened coating, I preliminarily dip the fabric glove in a bath of latex suspension unmixed with the divided solid to produce a smooth foundation coating.- One or more roughened coatings are thereafter superimposed upon this foundation.

AlthoughI have described the coating as produced by dipping in the bath, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it may be 40 applied by any conventional or adequate method of securing contact between the article to be coated and. the latex.

Articles coated as above described have a longer life and better wearing qualities than similar articles provided with a smooth coating of rubher, and the solid material due to its thorough dispersion in the bath is adequately bonded in the coating and cannot be dislodged inuse as would be the case with any attempt to apply granulated or fibrous material to a previously formed rubber coating.

What is claimed is: A 1. The method of coating canvas gloves or the like, which consists in dippin the canvas glove in a foundation bath of latex to provide a smooth coating, and next dipping the coated glove in a bath of latex having inert fibrous flock dispersed therein in sumcient quantity to provide a roughened surface produced by the imposition of the rubber latex dispersion upon the smooth foundation coating.

2. The method of coating canvas gloves and the like, which consists in dipping the glove to be treated in a liquid bath of latex having divided solid material dispersed therein in sumcient amount and sufllciently coarse to produce a roughened coating, the material being inert and retaining its solid characteristics during and subsequent to its application to the glove for the production of a permanent roughened and impervious coating thereon. i

' NEIL E. 'I'ILLOTSON. 

